It has been just shy of four years since the Dallas Cowboys decided to part ways with Terrell Owens.

Falsely labeled a "distraction" by the media during his time in Dallas, the myth of Owens' presence being the cause for the Cowboys failures has been debunked in recent years by those resourceful enough to do their own research.

His departure from the team has yielded them no greater success as their continual inability to qualify for the playoffs has left Cowboys fans feeling cold.

What has been lost since Owens' departure is the realization of how great a contributor he was to the team during his three-year tenure.

A perennial production machine—Owens stands alone as the best receiver to ever wear a star on his helmet.

"Sacrilege" some Cowboys fans may cry—nevertheless, a truthful proclamation.

Owens' excellence from 2006-08 even exceeded that of the great Michael Irvin.

Easy to favor the less productive player who was the beneficiary of dynasty-caliber support. Believe me, I can sense the one-dimensional arguments coming from a mile away.

But less easy to make an argument against what Owens was able to accomplish with less support—in his mid-30s, no less.

Let's compare the individual contributions of both Owens and Irvin during their time with the Cowboys.

Terrell Owens (46 starts from 2006-08):

235 receptions for 3,587 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Owens played three seasons with the Cowboys and produced three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons.

He was productive from the get-go.

Despite playing with two different quarterbacks—one of whom had never started a game in his career Tony Romo, Owens led the entire league in touchdown receptions during his first year with the team.